What is the policy of His Majesty's Government on defence deals and arms sales to countries whose head of armed forces is under arrest warrant for alleged war crimes?

The Minister forgot to mention that this is one of the rare occasions on which the United Kingdom Government have a long-standing position that Israel is acting unlawfully in the west bank. Some 700,000 separate criminal acts of unlawful occupation have been endorsed and instructed by Benjamin Netanyahu. Because that illegal occupation has gone unpunished, we now see extremists, with the tacit acquiescence and sometimes direct support of the Israeli Defence Force, committing acts of cold-blooded murder against innocent civilians. If they do not stand up to criminals, those crimes will get worse. The Minister mentioned that two individuals have been sanctioned for their crimes in the west bank. Why have the President or the Prime Minister of Israel, who ordered that unlawful occupation, not also been sanctioned?

I know the Minister will want to join me in thanking every single person who dedicates themselves to working in the social care sector, including perhaps particularly those who have come to the UK from overseas to do so, but it is not sustainable to rely on incoming workers forever. The Migration Advisory Committee has found that Scotland is now less reliant on migrant workers in the social care sector than England, through the simple expedient of paying a decent wage. That might, by way, also be a good way to stop doctors in England going on strike; the Minister might want to look at that. Has the Minister asked the Chancellor to provide funding in the Budget so that social care workers in England can enjoy the same pay and conditions as their colleagues in Scotland, and if not, why not?

Will the Government do everything they can to improve education so as to improve multi-faith understanding and tackle this scourge?

What steps he is taking to tackle Islamophobia? An extreme right-wing Conservative MP was allowed to go on an extreme right-wing Conservative-funding TV station and make a series of vile Islamophobic remarks. The MP was not suspended for Islamophobia; he was suspended for refusing to obey an order from his party leader. Does the Minister understand why it is that, not only among Muslim communities but across a much wider range of believers and non-believers, people are becoming increasingly concerned that, in the eyes of this Government, Islamophobia is seen as somehow less abhorrent than other forms of racism?

Fife Gingerbread, based in my constituency, contacted me to point out that most of the provisions in the Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Act 2023, which was unanimously agreed by the House and received Royal Assent at the end of June last year, have still not been brought into force. That means that far too many vulnerable people who want to make a claim through the Child Maintenance Service find that abusive ex-partners use it to control their behaviour. Why is it taking so long to put in place the measures in the Act?

Despite benefit increases, inflation for low-paid families is significantly higher. Families on low incomes have less disposable income this year than last year. Does he accept it's time to introduce an essentials guarantee so no one on universal credit or another income-based benefit falls below basic essentials?

What recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of levels of benefits. The rate of inflation for low-paid families is higher than the headline rate, leaving many struggling even worse this year compared to last year. Citizens Advice shows that low-income families have less disposable income in 2023-24.

My constituent, Dr Lubna Hadoura, has given almost 30 years of service in a specialised role to our NHS. Today, all she can think about is her 84-year-old mum and other members of her family who are stuck in Gaza with no hope of escape. Will the Secretary of State agree to meet urgently with me and Dr Hadoura so that she can set out to him more powerfully than I ever could the urgent humanitarian and moral imperative to get the families of UK citizens out of Gaza before it is too late?

Is it the policy of the Home Office and this Government to act within international law or to act outwith it?

Teachers in Northern Ireland have had no pay increase for three years, resulting in a 20% real-term cut. How will this situation help maintain the proud record of education?

What discussions has the Administration had with Northern Ireland on the potential impact of budgetary constraints on the delivery of public services?

Can the Minister confirm that although HS2—or maybe HS1- and-a-quarter—is going no further than Birmingham, the HS2 trains will continue to run on the west coast main line? Is he aware of repeated reports that because the new trains are not designed for existing track, the high-speed trains to Glasgow will go slower than the existing trains on that line? Can the Minister categorically assure the House that that is not the case, and tell us how much time will be cut from the train journey from Glasgow to Birmingham?

The forthcoming by-election in Rutherglen and Hamilton West will be the first in Scotland under the new requirement for voter identification. We know that thousands of voters in England were disenfranchised at council elections because they did not have a passport or driving licence. What specific steps is the Cabinet Office taking to make sure that the voters of Rutherglen and Hamilton West are not prevented from voting?

Why have the Government not even considered a Homes for Afghans scheme, similar to the Homes for Ukraine scheme that made such a difference to desperate Ukrainian refugees?

What recent discussions has he held with Cabinet colleagues on supporting Afghan people who have been resettled in the UK to access independent accommodation?

Fife Council is currently working on the details of the levelling-up fund, which gave us some of our own money back under the last round. Most of that money—over £14 million—is for connectivity projects related to the very welcome reopening of the Levenmouth rail link. Since the bid was put together, it has become clear that by far the most important connectivity project associated with that reopening is the construction of a pedestrian footbridge to maintain the ancient public right of way at Doubledykes crossing in the middle of my constituency. If it becomes clear that the project has support from the community, will the Secretary of State allow Fife Council to reallocate the funding—

Among the SNP failures that the Secretary of State chose not to mention is the fact that, since the SNP came to government in 2007, we have been building new council and social-rented houses at nine times the rate of any Government covering England. Does the Minister accept that if successive Labour and Tory Governments had followed the SNP's example in Scotland, the housing crisis in England would be far less than it currently is?

The Attorney General will appreciate that the International Criminal Court does not have jurisdiction over crimes of aggression—in effect, the deliberate, violent and unprovoked military incursion into the sovereign territory of another recognised state. Karim Khan, a prosecutor at the ICC, has pointed out that none of the other 93,000 war crimes committed by Russia in Ukraine could have happened had it not been for that initial crime of aggression. Will the Attorney General assure us that steps are being taken to set up a special tribunal as quickly as possible, so that Putin and his fellow criminals can be brought to justice before they get the chance to destroy the evidence?

What recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential establishment of a special tribunal on crimes of aggression against Ukraine?

What exactly is his Government doing to protect tenants in Scotland and prevent an increase in homelessness?

Given a recent study showing significant financial strain and cuts to Northern Ireland's public sector budgets, does the Secretary of State believe his measures make the cost of living crisis better or worse?

The opportunities of AI are global, but so are the threats. It is obvious that significant co-ordination and co-operation in scientific research will be essential. In that context, could the Minister explain how cutting ourselves off from the world's biggest scientific research programme helps the United Kingdom?

The Scottish Government did not stonewall the unions and have not claimed that the unions are responsible for all our social ills. The Scottish Government engaged constructively with unions, in education and elsewhere in the public sector, and have agreed a pay deal that means that Scottish teacher salaries will increase by 14.6%—I will say that again: 14.6%—by January next year. In this tale of two Governments, which Government can teachers trust to look after their interests?

Will the Minister ensure farm support programmes deliver environmental goals and make it easier for farmers to earn from growing food? This would help reduce food prices.

Families on lower incomes spend a larger proportion of their income on essential foods, especially when inflation for many basics is over 30%. Constituents face significant cost-of-living increases, likely double the official rate. Government targets do not address immediate needs. How long will it take for food prices to return to pre-inflation levels?

When my constituents do their food shopping they are faced with price increases of between 10% and 15%, or even more, compared with last year. But farmers in my consistency are certainly not getting paid 10% or 15% more for their produce—they are lucky to even get paid the same as last year. If the farmers who produce the food are getting ripped off, and the customers who eat the food are getting ripped off, who is doing the ripping off? What are the Government going to do to stop it?

Earlier today, the Minister cited the Electoral Commission to support the Government's voter ID plans. How many cases of voter impersonation in the 2021 elections across Great Britain produced enough evidence for a police caution? If she does not know, I suggest it is half the number of people on the Government Front Bench right now.

Has the Minister made an assessment of how much damage that scandal has done and is continuing to do?

What steps is he taking to review the business model on which sub-post offices operate?

There was a significant tax cut in the Budget that has been greatly welcomed by drivers in my constituency and elsewhere, namely the extension of the 5p cut in fuel duty and the freezing of the escalator, but does the Chancellor accept that by postponing that decision until an election year—next year—he is simply continuing the fuel duty fiction that our Committee has highlighted?

A number of think-tank charities do exactly what the Minister has suggested, and they gain plaudits from transparency campaigners for their willingness to be open about who funds them. There are others that refuse to give out any meaningful information. They take millions of pounds from American oil companies, and produce so-called research briefings that deny climate change and encourage Governments to ban legitimate protest against oil and gas development, for example. A lot of them are housed at 55 Tufton Street, and pay their rent to a wealthy donor to the Conservative party. They do not ever educate anybody, which for an education charity might be seen to be a wee bit of a problem. What they are in effect doing is laundering money, by taking money from sources that are, by law, prohibited from funding party political activities in the United Kingdom, and using it to promote politically biased research. When are the Government going to get to grips with that, and recognise that a research institution that does not follow the rules of ethics is not a research institution and is not an educational charity, but a political organisation that should be regulated and taxed on that basis?

Whether she has had recent discussions with the Charity Commission on the potential impact of the charitable status of some think-tanks on the transparency, accountability and effective regulation of those bodies.

Can the Secretary of State explain why my constituency received less levelling-up investment than the Prime Minister's, despite higher need?

How can a small retail business survive with an annual increase of over £100,000 in overhead costs when its customers cannot afford their electricity bills? Is this related to BP shareholders celebrating the highest profits in company history? Where might the tax revenue come from to support businesses and households?

Does the Minister have plans to speak with the Scottish Government about how the Scottish child payment works, as it could offer insights into tackling poverty? The JRF described this payment as a 'watershed moment'.

What recent assessment has been made of the potential impact of his policies on levels of poverty in Scotland? The Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that one in five Scottish households had to go without food or heat due to financial constraints, and described the Scottish child payment as a 'watershed moment'.

In contrast to Ireland, real-terms cuts in transport spending will impact England and devolved nations. Will the Secretary of State ensure that transport needs outside London are not sacrificed? Does he agree all public transport infrastructure spending in Scotland should follow Scottish Government priorities?

What assessment has been made of his Department's spending priorities in the context of the autumn statement 2022?

It has been four months since the Government's response to the SLAPPs consultation. When will necessary legislation be brought to Parliament?